Senior Salaries Review Body

Lord Morgan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have regarding the chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body.

Lord Williams of Mostyn: The Prime Minister has appointed John Baker CBE to be chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body from February 2002 for a period of three years.

UK-China Human Rights Dialogues

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will publish a report detailing the matters raised at each of the United Kingdom-China Human Rights Dialogues, and the progress made on each of these matters.

Baroness Amos: Details of our dialogue are published in the annual FCO human rights report. We also make public the subjects raised in our replies to PQs, letters from honourable Members and noble Lords and letters from members of the public. In addition we hold informal briefing sessions with relevant NGOs.

Algeria: Human Rights

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the Government of Algeria to consider whether their law on defamation, under which the Appeal Court of Relizane has sentenced Mohamed Smain, president of the Relizane Branch of the League for the Defence of Human Rights, to a year's imprisonment for repeating statements made by relatives of "disappeared" against the former mayor of Relizane, is compatible with the human rights provisions of the European Union-Algeria Association Agreement; and whether they will seek to persuade the Government of Algeria to invite the United Nations Human Rights Commission's Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary and Arbitrary Executions to visit Algeria.

Baroness Amos: The EU/Algeria Association Agreement has not been signed or ratified and so is not in force. The first step towards bringing the agreement into force will be at the signature of the agreement scheduled for late April 2002. The EU will take the opportunity at this signing ceremony to raise with Algeria its concerns, including on human rights issues.
	The UK Government regularly raise their concerns about human rights violations in Algeria, most recently during the visit there of my honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the Member for Exeter, on 23-24 September 2001. It is HMG policy to encourage all governments to co-operate with UN mechanisms. We continue to urge the Algerian Government to comply fully with their obligations under international law on the investigation of human rights abuses, including requests to visit by UN Special Rapporteurs. The UK, with EU partners, has also submitted a number of cases to the Algerian authorities. The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has offered information on some of these cases, but both we and our EU partners will continue to press for full answers.

Human Rights Dialogues

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will establish a mechanism for regular interchange of information between the Human Rights Dialogues with other states, in which the United Kingdom is engaged, and the Special Procedures of the United Nations Human Rights Commission; and, in particular, whether they will compile a list of requests made by the Special Procedures for invitations to visit particular territories.

Baroness Amos: As part of the Government's commitment to place human rights at the heart of foreign policy, the UK has frequent dialogue on human rights issues with a large number of other countries. We regularly share the information from these exchanges with EU partners and non-governmental organisations, and we draw on reports from these sources and from the Special Procedures when preparing our dialogues. If requested, we also share information with UN Special Procedures. However, in the interests of observing their independence, the UK does not contribute unsolicited briefing on any country or subject. It is not possible to compile a list of requests made by the Special Procedures for invitations to visit particular territories since not all requests are made public and the status of requests is not always clear; nor does the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) keep a list of requests. The UK has made a public commitment to accept any request for a visit by the Special Procedures, and we encourage all states to cooperate with UN mechanisms.

Indonesia

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they and other Commonwealth states are able to act in support of the Moluccas Peace Ageement of February; if so, what form of support is being given; and whether international aid is available to those internally displaced by the earlier conflict.

Baroness Amos: We welcome the recent agreements brokered by the Indonesian Government between the warring factions in both Maluku and Sulawesi to end the fighting.
	The Department for International Development has pledged more than £4 million to help to establish the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. The unit will build up capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces torn apart by ethnic conflict. The British Government have also recently funded a series of conflict reporting training workshops in various provinces in Indonesia. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation and offer practical assistance where we can.

Angola

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether international observers will be made available to Angola to assist with ceasefires, surrenders of rebel forces and the collection of weapons; and whether international aid is available to assist the resettlement of displaced population.

Baroness Amos: Following Jonas Savimbi's death, we are watching the situation in Angola closely, as are EU partners, the US, and the UN. We have encouraged the Angolan Government to make the most of this opportunity, and would support efforts towards a just and sustainable peace. It is too soon to say what form this support might take.
	The UK has committed some £3.95 million for humanitarian assistance since the beginning of 2001 via the ICRC, international NGOs and UN agencies. We are willing to consider further responses to urgent needs. We have supported calls for safe and unrestricted humanitarian access by relief agencies to Angolan civilians in all areas, and for both sides in the conflict to ensure full respect for human rights and international law.

Royal Institute for International Affairs

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How much money they have given to the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House) in each of the last five years.

Baroness Amos: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's corporate membership payments to the Royal Institute for International Affairs over the past five years are as follows:
	2001: £28,482
	2000: £29,600
	1999: £23,950
	1998: £23,270
	1997: £21,170
	In addition the FCO has commissioned events and projects to the value of:
	1999: £24,875
	2000: £127,121
	2001: £114,129
	Figures for commissioned events and projects in 1997–98 are not held centrally and the cost of collecting them would involve disproportionate cost.

Foreign Policy Centre

Lord Lamont of Lerwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have given any financial assistance to the foreign affairs think tank, the Foreign Policy Centre.

Baroness Amos: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not given any financial assistance to the Foreign Policy Centre. At the invitation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, members of the Foreign Policy Centre have stayed overnight in embassy residences in Paris, Athens, Bonn and Warsaw, following speaking engagements arranged by those embassies.

Prison Service Standard on Religion

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the current Prison Service Standard on Religion applies to all private prisons, including those for which the contract was signed before the Standard came into effect; and if not, whether they will renegotiate the contracts where necessary to ensure that the Standard is observed throughout the prison system.

Lord Rooker: The contracts for private sector prisons are consistent with the requirements of the Prison Service Standard on Religion.

Imprisonment: Effect on Families

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What conclusions they draw from the Channel 4 film "Doing Time" concerning the effects in Britain of imprisonment on prisoners' families and children.

Lord Rooker: The film highlighted the extent to which imprisonment places strains on family relationships. That is why the Prison Service provides special facilities for family visiting. These include financial support for travel costs to enable low-income families to visit prisoners, play areas in some visiting halls and family days in prisons. Many prisons provide visitors' centres outside the prison which, in particular, cater for the needs of families. The Social Exclusion Unit has recently conducted research on reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners. During its work, the unit has looked at the role of families in the rehabilitation of prisoners. It is in the process of finalising the report and this will provide the direction for future policies and strategies to help alleviate the effects on the family. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library.

Seat Belts

Lord Janner of Braunstone: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many back-seat passengers have been prosecuted for failure to wear seat belts; and how many and what percentage of those prosecutions have been successful.

Lord Rooker: It is not possible to distinguish between driver and passenger seat-belt offences from the information held centrally in England and Wales or Scotland.
	In 2000, under Section 14(3), 15(2) and 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 there were 5,700 proceedings in magistrates' courts in England and Wales, of which 78.1 per cent resulted in a conviction; and in Scotland there were 2,943 offences proceeded against, of which 92.8 per cent had a charge proved.
	In Northern Ireland, a separate offence of "failing to wear rear seat belt" exists under Road Traffic (NI) Order 1981, Article 129A. The latest information available shows that in 1998 there were two prosecutions where both resulted in a fine, and in 1999 there were none.

HM Prison Wandsworth: Education

The Earl of Sandwich: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What opportunities there are for expanding the hours currently devoted to education in HM Prison Wandsworth, including evening classes.

Lord Rooker: Wandsworth prison expects to deliver some 8,000 teaching hours through its education contractor in 2001–02. The number of hours to be delivered in 2002–03 is still under consideration. The prison has received funds outside the education contract to run a Pathfinder project to introduce new basic skills qualifications. In addition, a new vocational training workshop is under construction, and due to open in mid 2002. lynne

Hand Gun Fatalities

Lord Tebbit: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many people have died of injuries inflicted by hand guns in each year since the passage of the Firearms Acts.

Lord Rooker: The latest available details are given below.
	Number of homicides using a handgun in England and Wales:
	
		
			 Year  
			 1997(1) 39 
			 1998–99(1) 32 
			 1999–00(1) 42 
			 2000–01(1) 47 
		
	
	(1)Calendar year
	(1)Years ending March
	Number of homicides using a handgun in Scotland:
	
		
			 Year  
			 1997 5 
			 1998 1 
			 1999 0 
			 2000 1 
		
	
	There were three homicides in Scotland in 1998 in which the firearm used was unidentified.

European Arrest Warrant

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by Lord Rooker on 7 February (WA 107) concerning European arrest warrants and a framework decision on combating terrorism, whether in order to take effect the European arrest warrant will depend on a regulation whose effect has been already agreed; and, in respect of the framework decision on combating terrorism, which member states gave notification of parliamentary scrutiny reserves at the Justice and Home Affairs Council held on 6–7 December 2001.

Lord Rooker: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer that I gave to a question from the noble Lord, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, on 14 January 2002 (WA 128). This indicates that the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) has not yet been formally adopted. When it has been formally adopted, it will be implemented by means of primary legislation in the extradition Bill, which the Government intends to publish in draft later this Session. As a measure to be adopted under Title VI of the Treaty on European Union, the EAW will not be given effect by means of a Community regulation.
	The three countries that placed parliamentary scrutiny reserves on their agreement to the framework decision on combating terrorism were Sweden, Denmark and Ireland. Hannington

Immigration

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the answers by the Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 6 March (HL Deb. cols. 250 and 252), whether they will now explain why would-be illegal immigrants are so keen to enter the United Kingdom, rather than to stay in France or other countries of the European Union.

Lord Rooker: As my noble and learned friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton said, the answer to this question is largely a matter for speculation. We know that Britain is perceived as a stable and attractive place in which to live. This view arises partly because of our buoyant and successful economy, and the employment opportunities it has brought, but also because of the universality of the English language and global communication that mean that millions of people hear about the United Kingdom and aspire to come here.
	However the perception that we receive a disproportionate number of illegal immigrants is not entirely accurate. The United Kingdom ranks 10th out of 16 European countries in 2001 for applications as a percentage of population. None the less we are also doing all we can at a European level to create a level playing field. In many ways the laws governing the treatment of asylum seekers in France and other European Union countries are not dissimilar to those currently in force in the United Kingdom. However, some real and perceived differences do exist, which may in some cases influence where an asylum seeker chooses to lodge a claim. This is one of the reasons why France and the United Kingdom, along with other European Union countries, are in the process of agreeing a range of measures governing the treatment of asylum seekers in order to achieve a higher degree of harmonisation across the European Union. These measures will include procedures setting out how an asylum seeker is treated on arrival in a European country, a uniform criteria on who exactly qualifies for refugee status and what rights and benefits they are entitled to during and after consideration of their asylum application. Such harmonisation is expected to greatly reduce unwarranted movements of asylum seekers between European countries.
	As well as working with our European partners we are also determined to clamp down on the abuse of the current system while continuing to meet our international obligations. The White Paper Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain sets out the key challenges in nationality, immigration and asylum policy and the measures we have taken and are taking to produce a coherent strategy. We are determined to reform the asylum system based on the principle that we should have a humanitarian process which honours our obligations to those fleeing persecution while deterring those who have no right to asylum from travelling here. claire

Housing Benefit: Travellers

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they have yet reached a decision regarding the different calculation of housing benefit on gypsy sites and by county councils on the one hand, and district and unitary authorities on the other; and whether they will reimburse county councls for the losses of revenue they have sustained by reason of their inability to collect the differences between the economic charges made to residents, and the amounts they are entitled to claim in housing benefit.

Baroness Hollis of Heigham: We are looking at the housing benefit rules for people living on travellers' sites. Any proposals for change will be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee and the local authority associations in the normal way.

Transport Services

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What organisations they have met to discuss non-emergency patient transport for older people and others; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health (Ms Blears) has discussed patient transport services in London with Age Concern. This was following the publication of Age Concern's report A helicopter would be nice: transport to health services for older Londoners (a copy of which is in the Library). The outcome of the discussions is that the national guidance, on patient transport services, produced in 1991 is being reviewed. The Department of Health is involved in cross-government work which is examining the nature of transport barriers to accessing work, learning, healthcare and other key activities and services and, where appropriate, policies will be developed to remove those barriers.

Transport Services

Baroness Barker: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What plans they have to work with other government departments to promote the integration of transport for health and social care services with public and accessible transport services.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Government departments are currently working together on a project led by the Social Exclusion Unit to examine the links between transport and social exclusion. As part of this project the Department of Health, along with other government departments, is considering how best to maximise the provision of mainstream transport and that provided through other agencies such as health, social services and education. A report will be published later on this year.

Haemophilia

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many infections have been recorded from the prescription for haemophilia patients of recombinant clotting factors; how many recorded infections there have been to date from prescribing plasma products; and whether they will detail the infections caused by each treatment.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Information on all adverse events associated with medicinal products is not collected centrally. However, reports of suspected adverse drug reactions are made voluntarily by doctors to the Medicines Control Agency through the Yellow Card Scheme. The Medicines Control Agency has received notification of one case of Hepatitis A and one of septicaemia in patients receiving recombinant factor VIII, and two cases of Hepatitis B infection in two patients receiving human albumin solution. A report of a suspected reaction does not necessarily mean that it has been caused by the drug.

Dentistry

Lord Colwyn: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether in view of the agreement between the Department of Health, the General Dental Council and the dental profession that it would be beneficial to revise the legislation that will abolish the restriction on numbers of corporate bodies that may organise the practice of dentistry, they have any plans to bring forward the proposed revision date of 2002–03.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: Work is under way for the revision to be made during 2002–03. Our intention is to amend Section 42 of the Dentists Act 1984 by using the order-making powers under the Regulatory Reform Act 2001. There are prescribed requirements for preliminary consultation and parliamentary consideration in Sections 5 and 8 of the Act which mean that it is not possible to bring the timetable forward. lynne

Government Departments: Assets of Cultural Significance

Lord Freyberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether there will be a bidding process when the silver is offered for sale to institutions "willing to display the items to the public", or whether preferred institutions will be selected; and, if the latter, by whom and on what criteria; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they think it appropriate for a national musuem to bid for these items, if the institution would have to use public or charitable funds to secure them; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they intend to disperse the four lots among a number of different instititions or to keep them together as part of a dispersed collection; and
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they will stipulate conditions as to what constitutes an acceptable level of public access; and, if so, whether the absence of admission charges will be one of those conditions.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Current plans are for the Government to identify institutions willing to display the items to the UK public. These institutions would then be invited to submit bids against specified criteria. These criteria would cover both the arrangements for display and the proposed price. Admission charges will not be a criterion; nor will the bidding institution's source of funding. The items would be sold as a single group. lynne

Government Departments: Assets of Cultural Significance

Lord Freyberg: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 12 February (WA 138–39), whether they will list all the assets of cultural significance that each government department has identified among its other holdings.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The material assets of government departments are identified in their resource accounts and in their respective entries in the National Asset Register.

Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plans

The Countess of Mar: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the answer by the Lord Whitty on 6 February (HL Deb, cols. 631–34), whether Lord Whitty was referring to the general contingency plans published as Appendix 6(i) to the Report of the European Commission for the Control of Foot and Mouth Disease, Rome, Italy, 27 to 30 April 1993, or to the Foot and Mouth Disease Contingency Plans for Great Britain, last revised in July 2000.

Lord Whitty: I was referring to the Foot and Mouth Contingency Plans for Great Britain, last revised in July 2000. lynne

Pyre Sites

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many foot and mouth disease pyre sites are being dug up, how many are planned to be dug up; and how many sites have had a risk assessment carried out on them.

Lord Whitty: Our records indicate that to date, ash has been removed from 160 pyre sites in England and Wales. In many cases, ash has been removed from the surface of sites. At some locations, the removal operation has involved removing the soil originally placed on top of the trenches to stabilise the sites, followed by the excavation of ash from the pyre trench itself. While this may appear to involve "digging up" the ash, we are not aware of any ash being dug up from sites where ash has been buried in accordance with DEFRA guidelines. A further 11 sites are currently either programmed for removal or are undergoing site specific risk assessments. Risk assessments have been undertaken at all sites where ash removal has taken place.

Incinerators

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many incinerators capable of burning waste at 1,000oC are now in existence in the United Kingdom; how many of them are used to dispose of rendered cattle carcasses; what is their combined disposal rate; what is the current level of carcasses in store; and how this compares with two years ago.

Lord Whitty: Records of incinerator gas temperatures are not gathered centrally. However, there are some 180 authorised incinerators in the UK. Combustion gas temperatures will reach 850 degrees centigrade in nearly all of these, and the majority will be capable of achieving 1,000 degrees centigrade.
	Five plants are currently incinerating meat and bone meal (MBM), from rendered cattle carcasses from the Over Thirty Months Slaughter Scheme (OTMS). Four of these five plants recover energy from the incineration process and all maintain temperatures of over 850 degrees centigrade in line with SEAC recommendations. They have a combined contracted disposal capacity to incinerate 225,000 tonnes of MBM per year.
	There are no carcasses in long-term storage awaiting disposal. However, some 276,000 tonnes of MBM generated from the OTMS are currently held in secure storage pending destruction, compared with over 460,000 tonnes two years ago.